2002 Catchable-Trout Stocking Program Changes

by Tom Greene photo-Art Michaels photo-Art Beginning this season, the Fish & Boat Com- As with past practice, changes for the 2002 season will mission will produce approximately 3.8 million adult trout include the addition of new water areas, some expansions to for distribution in the waters of the Commonwealth. In currently stocked waters, and the removal of several waters comparison with past practice, this figure represents a reduc- from the stocking program. tion of about 1.4 million trout from the 5.2 million or so stocked in 2001. New waters Pennsylvania’s state fish culture stations are currently For the 2002 season, new-water additions consist of three faced with challenges related to both water quantity and water previously stocked waters that return to the stocking program quality. To take prompt action to address these issues, it was as a result of completed dam maintenance repair and a necessary at least temporarily to reduce the number of adult landowner agreement to provide public angling. trout produced in our state hatcheries and stocked in state Cloe Lake, Jefferson County. Following a two-year waters open to free public fishing. period of drawdown for dam maintenance and repairs, this As part of this change, Commis- 25.5-acre lake is expected to be avail- sion fisheries managers have worked able for trout angling for the 2002 closely with law enforcement and season. If the water levels are re- other staff to develop a plan to real- stored according to schedule, the locate the stocking of hatchery trout lake will receive a preseason and an for the 2002 season and beyond. inseason stocking of brown and rain- The foundation of the Commission’s bow trout. stocked trout program is based on Harvey Creek, Luzerne the classification of waters by re- County. As part of an agreement source-based fisheries management between the Commission and Theta considerations. Under this method Land Corporation, a 1.5-mile stream of allocating trout, the number of section extending from T-812 (Jack- trout stocked in a stream or lake is son Road) downstream to T-497 determined by neutral and consis- (Pavlick Road) will be reopened to public angling for the 2002 tent factors that are applied on a statewide basis. For example, season. As with past practice, this section of stream will be when two waters share the same characteristics, they are managed under the Delayed-Harvest, Artificial-Lures-Only stocked at the same rate (number of trout per water acre) program and will receive a preseason and one inseason stock- regardless of their location, county or municipality. The ing of brook, brown and rainbow trout. resource-based system of allocating stocked trout considers Roaring Brook, Lackawanna County. The stream sec- biological, physical and social factors in determining stocking tion from the dam at Elmhurst Reservoir downstream for a rates. These include abundance of wild trout, recreational use distance of 2.0 miles will also be reopened to public angling for potential (nearness to a road, amount of public ownership 2002 as part of the agreement between the Commission and and the amount of posting), the size of waters stocked (width Theta Land Corporation. This stream section will be stocked of the stream) and human population density. preseason and inseason with brook, brown and rainbow trout. With the reduction of 1.4 million trout from the state- wide production system, most stocked waters will have a Expansions to current waters decrease in the stocking rate and the frequency of stocking for the 2002 season. Stocking rate reductions (totaling about Changes in classification and/or stocking limit extensions 1.23 million trout) will account for the vast majority of the have led to an increase in the stocking program on the necessary 1.4-million trout reduction in the stocking pro- following waters for the 2002 season: gram. This will be accomplished by changing the stocking rates under the statewide allocation formulas. The remainder Antietam Lake ...... Berks County of the reduction (172,000 trout) will occur through the Appenzell Creek...... Monroe County removal of specific waters from the statewide stocking pro- Asaph Run ...... Tioga County gram. Bear Creek ...... Schuylkill County Bowery Run ...... Lancaster County (10 sections), low angler use (10 sections) and poor water Bradford Reservoir #3 ...... McKean County quality (8 sections). Briar Creek Lake ...... Columbia County In addition, 8 lakes will be removed from the stocking Brush Creek-Little ...... Fulton County program. The reasons for removing these lakes include: Childrens Lake...... Cumberland County Access, habitat and or posting problems (2 lakes), privately Conestoga Creek, Little-West Branch ...... Lancaster County owned lakes that are too small to justify the continuation of ...... York County stocking in a time of reduced allocations (3 lakes), and lake Deer Creek-North ...... Mercer County drainage for maintenance repairs (3 lakes). Doubling Gap Lake ...... Cumberland County Waters that will be removed from the stocking program Goss Run Dam ...... Clearfield County beginning with the 2002 season are as follows: Halfway Lake ...... Union County Harvey Creek ...... Luzerne County Allegheny River ...... Potter County* Hickory Run Lake ...... Carbon County Allen Creek ...... Somerset County Hoffman Run ...... Elk County Angelica Lake...... Berks County Indian Lake ...... Westmoreland County -West Branch ...... Franklin County* Janesville Dam ...... Clearfield County Aquashicola Creek ...... Carbon & Monroe counties* Jones Creek...... Wayne County Asaph Run-Left ...... Tioga County Kooser Lake ...... Somerset County Bailey Run ...... Potter County Lake Creek...... Monroe County Barnetts Run...... Fulton County Lake Loch Lomond...... Pike County Bear Creek-Big (01) ...... Carbon County Lake Took-A-While ...... Luzerne County Bear Creek-Big (02) ...... Carbon County Lily Pond ...... Pike County ...... Elk County Lions Lake ...... Lebanon County Beaver Run ...... Chester County Loch Alsh Reservoir ...... Montgomery County Beaver Run ...... Clearfield County Mahoning Creek...... Carbon County Beaver Run ...... Columbia County Marquette Lake ...... Lebanon County Beaver Rod & Gun Club Dam ...... Bedford County Middletown Reservoir ...... Dauphin County Beaverdam Creek ...... Bedford County* Mountain Creek ...... Fayette County Beaverdam Run ...... Cambria County Muddy Creek ...... York County Belmouth Run ...... Elk County Muddy Creek-North Branch ...... York County Bender Run ...... Cambria County Muddy Creek-South Branch ...... York County Bennett Branch-South Branch ...... Clearfield County Princess Run ...... Monroe County Big Run ...... Elk County Rattling Creek-West Branch ...... Dauphin County Big Run ...... Juniata County Saucon Creek-South Branch ...... Lehigh County Black Bear Run ...... Centre County Sheppard Myers Dam ...... York County Black Creek ...... Sullivan County Snow Hill Dam ...... Monroe County ...... Lycoming County Sugar Run-North Branch...... McKean County Blacks Creek ...... Tioga County Tannery Dam ...... Clearfield County Blue Hole Creek ...... Somerset County Tobyhanna Lake ...... Monroe County Bobs Creek ...... Bedford & Blair counties* Twin Lakes ...... Elk County Boggy Run ...... Elk County Upper Gravel Pit ...... Erie County Boy Scout Dam ...... Centre County Van Auken Creek ...... Wayne County Briar Creek-West Branch ...... Columbia County Wallenpaupack Creek-West Branch...... Wayne County Buckwha Creek...... Monroe County* Waterworks Ponds ...... Erie County Buffalo Creek-North Branch ...... Union County Zerbe Twp Rod & Gun Club Pond ...... Northumberland County Caldwell Creek ...... Crawford & Warren counties* Campbell Run ...... Franklin County Early warning waters Chaney Run ...... Fayette County About 172,000 fewer adult trout will be stocked because Chester Creek, East Branch ...... Delaware County* specific waters have been removed from the stocking pro- Cold Stream ...... Centre County gram. Overall, 144 stream sections will be removed from the Colegrove Brook ...... McKean County stocking program. The reasons for removing these waters are Cooks Run ...... Clinton County as follows: Sufficient wild trout populations where stocking Corey Creek ...... Tioga County is not necessary (47 sections), small allocations fewer than the Cowans Gap Lake ...... Fulton County 300-trout minimum plant size (44 sections), poor access and Cub Run ...... Somerset County posting (25 sections), small stream size or location problems Dicks Run ...... Centre County Dotters Creek ...... Monroe County Drakes Creek ...... Carbon County Repine Run ...... Indiana County Fall Creek ...... Somerset County Rexmont Dam #1 ...... Lebanon County Fishing Creek ...... Clinton County* Riggles Gap Run ...... Blair County Five Forks Creek ...... Franklin County Roaring Brook ...... Lycoming & Tioga counties Fourth Run...... Carbon County Roaring Run ...... Fulton County Furnace Run ...... York County Roaring Run ...... Westmoreland County Garner Run ...... Huntingdon County Rock Run ...... Sullivan & Lycoming counties Glade Run ...... Somerset County Rocky Run...... Elk County Green Spring Creek ...... Cumberland County* Sawmill Run ...... Clearfield County Hannas Run ...... Westmoreland County Sawmill Run ...... York County Harvey Creek ...... Luzerne County* -Little ...... Bradford County Hemlock Run ...... Warren County Seeley Creek ...... Bradford & Tioga counties Hicks Run-West Branch ...... Cameron & Elk counties Shaeffer Run ...... Perry County Holberts Creek (Roots Creek)...... Wayne County Shafer Run ...... Somerset County Hollister Creek ...... Wayne County Shannon Run ...... Westmoreland County Hunter Creek ...... Carbon County Shehawken Creek ...... Wayne County Hyner Run-Left ...... Clinton County Sherman Creek ...... Perry County* Imlertown Run ...... Bedford County Sixmile Run ...... Centre County* Jack Dent Branch ...... Clearfield County Sixmile Run ...... Warren County Jerry Run-Upper ...... Cameron County Skinner Creek ...... McKean County* Kase Branch ...... Montour County Slate Lick Run ...... Cambria County Kings Creek ...... Sullivan County Smoky Run Rod & Gun Club Pond...... Blair County ...... Mifflin County* Spring Brook ...... Lackawanna County Lackawaxen River-West Branch ...... Wayne County* Spring Creek-East Branch ...... Warren County Laurel Run...... Cambria County ...... Huntingdon County* Laurel Run...... Centre County Stony Creek ...... Carbon County Lehigh Creek-Little (02) ...... Berks & Lehigh counties* Straight Creek ...... Elk County Lehigh Creek-Little (07) ...... Lehigh County* Sugar Creek-East Branch ...... Venango County* Licking Creek-West (02) ...... Huntingdon & Mifflin counties ...... Bradford County Licking Creek-West (03) ...... Huntingdon County Sylvan Lake...... Luzerne County Lily Pond ...... Pike County The Branch ...... Forest County* Long Run ...... Clinton County Three Springs Creek ...... Bedford County Marsh Creek ...... Centre County* Toms Run ...... York County Mauses Creek ...... Montour County Town Run ...... Mifflin County McMurray Run ...... Butler County Trout Run ...... Lancaster County ...... Wyoming County* Trout Run ...... Lycoming County Middle Fork ...... Elk County ...... Lancaster County Mill Creek (trib to ) ...... Berks County* Unnamed Tributary to Pine Creek ...... Berks County Mill Creek (trib to -Little) ...... Berks County Valley Creek-West ...... Chester County* Mill Creek ...... Mercer County Vanscoyoc Run ...... Blair County Mill Creek-West ...... Tioga County Walburn Run ...... Jefferson County Millstone Creek ...... Bradford County Wallis Run...... Lycoming County Mix Run ...... Cameron County* Waltz Creek ...... Northampton County Mountain Branch ...... Centre County Wards Ranch Pond ...... Forest County Mountain Creek ...... Cumberland County* West Creek ...... Columbia County Muddy Run ...... Franklin County ...... Centre County* Muddy Run-Little ...... Clearfield County* White Deer Creek ...... Union County* Nine ...... Susquehanna County Whitney Run ...... Warren County Paddy Run ...... Clinton County Wolf Creek-North Branch ...... Mercer County ...... Centre County* Wolf Run ...... Centre County Pine Creek-South Fork-North Branch ...... Armstrong County Wrights Creek ...... Luzerne County Piney Creek-Little ...... Somerset County -Middle Branch ...... Susquehanna County Pocono Creek ...... Monroe County ...... Cumberland County* Poe Creek ...... Centre County* ...... Clinton County*; Rattling Creek-East Branch ...... Dauphin County Young Womans Creek-Left Branch ...... Clinton County* Rauchtown Creek ...... Clinton County *Denotes stream that has at least one other section that will continue to be stocked.